Hope no more
by 4sakN
Summary: The next story in the 'Hope's a tiny litte thing' series. Obviously I'm still working on the first, of which I have more chapters that I'm choosing not to release. I only started working on this early because I couldn't get it out of my head. It's mainly a OC SI story for reference.


Vertigo hit me like a brick as I found myself once more in the Menu. Highschool DxD had been an adventure and a half and I will surely miss my wives, but escaping the craziness of it all was somewhat gratifying. I was ready to move on though. I had been there for over 200 years afterall. Not the longest running Devil by any means, but a good run none the less. I watched my children have children of their own and I felt the family was in good hands. With that amount of kids I had, there wasn't a doubt. Shaking off my melancholy, I finally focused on the Menu to see where I was going next.

[A Song of Ice and Fire]

I had to fight back my excitement to the world. A somewhat realistic world was just what I needed after the craziness of DxD. Like previously stated, I had loved my life there, but it was hard to stay attached to the world itself when it kept breaking the suspension of disbelief. I knew ASoIaF would be a difficult world to settle in, but I had a major advantage of choosing my birth. That was 70% of the battle there. It may be fun to start small and advance onto the Game of Thrones. Sort of coming out of nowhere. A hard decision to be sure.

I selected Start and began the creation of my character. I had to give quite a bit of thought to who I would be. There were many ways I could play it, but if I wanted the throne, my choices were somewhat limited. That is, if I don't use force. Going into a world like this, the only real aspiration to be had was the throne. I could take Jon Snow and, in some ways, that was the best choice. I didn't feel up to living in the North, or under Catylin, but I'd set it aside for now. Joffrey was probably the easiest route, but being Cersi's son sounded like alot of work. Especially since he doesn't have actual claim to the throne. Viserys… now I like that one. Legit claim with room for surprise.

I made minor alterations to his/my appearance, if only because the man was too pretty. Looked nothing like on the show, but I've learned to expect that. Stronger jawline, paler eyes, were some of the few changes I made. Satisfied with the results, I moved on to Powers. I was surprised to see some of the options, because a good deal of them would be overpowered in Plantetos. I chose what I had previously. The magecraft of Emiya Shirou and Limitless. I wasn't ready to move on from them yet. They were a part of me as much as anything else by now. Everything setup, I selected…

[Begin]

oOoOoOo

My first year of life was spent mostly in the company of nannies. No mother or father. Only brief flashes from the Princess, her daughter, and my brother. Actually, out of all of them, my brother was the most often visitor. He would stand over me and stare, me doing the same to him. It was almost like he was searching for something. What? I didn't have a clue, but it was unnervingly. I only had minor clues to puzzle why my parents didn't visit me, but the best guess was that my father restricted it. The man was mad afterall, and I couldn't begin to fathom his reasons. It was all the same though, because I didn't have to hide as much as otherwise.

I didn't actually see my mother, other than brief flashes, until my names day. It was a sad reunion. She set upon me like any mother would that missed their child and it confused me. I did learn the reason later, though it didn't quell the bitterment. The King didn't think I would survive in the company of my mother. He didn't trust her. They had tried for future children for a long time, and mother kept losing them. Whether it was because they were products of incest or poor hygiene, I couldn't tell. I did know I was going to kill the King.

A year later and my commitment to killing the King grew stronger. It was one thing to be mad. Another to be what I would call evil. Perhaps I could blame it on the way he was raised, but the man's values were… despicable. Especially what I saw of how he treated mother. She was a thing… an object. She was as useful as her ability to breed. He would visit me in the middle of the night, a gleeful expression on his face, mumbling. The same phrase over and over. 'The spare.' I learned my place in his world then.

So, as the time went by, I avoided the man like the plague. My brother's obsession stopped, as my father's began, so I hadn't seen much of the young man. His daughter though was a constant in my life, and, thankfully, my mother also. The Princess Ellia was there also, mostly in the background. I think I made her uncomfortable with how silent I was. The others found it endearing for some reason. Everything was fine as long as I avoided my father. Then speakings of rebellion happened.

I sat in my mother's lap as Rhaenys practiced her reading. It was slow going for her on the account she was five, but atleast she was dedicated. The peaceful moment was ruined when the King burst through the door, a wave of emotions following him. Rage, sadistic pleasure, a number of things were tasteful in the air. He made straight for my mother, not speaking a word. My mother fearfully placed me on the ground to get me out of the way. She cried out in pain as he gripped her wrist hard and started dragging her out. I knew what was going to happen and if I stopped it… I knew the consequences. Somewhat, atleast. It would be refusing the birth of my sister. It would also most likely stop a civil war. My aunt and great-aunt fearfully shuffled me towards them in the corner, but I could feel the rage taking control. Before the man could exit the room, a dagger appeared and plunged into his back. He let out a grunt of pain as he fell on the ground. The room silenced as everyone processed what happened. My mother looked towards me, and in that moment, I saw that she knew it was me. I wasn't sure if it was something in my eyes or my posture, but her expression hardened.

"Guards! Assassin!" She yelled out, and a hint of betrayal entered my blood stream. The men entered the room quick, the clutter of a broken door in their wake. One saw the King on the ground and headed straight for him, the other to my mother.

"Quick! He escaped through the window!" It was then I saw what was happening. A thought occured to me then. This was a mistake. I should of been patient. Not let my rage take me. I didn't worry for myself, because no matter how weak I am at three names day old, I had magic. My mother didn't have the luxury. I watched mutely as one of the guards started to the window. I had to think quick. Putting all my power in a trace, I grasped the structure of a rope. Not my strongest suite, making non-swords, but my desperation fueled the projection. Before he reached the window, I materialized it, letting it flutter harmlessly down to the ground. The guard tried to catch the tail end of it, but missed just barely. My mother's vision snapped to me. Uh-oh. That move showed more intelligence than I'm suppose to possess, but I have to trust her. Hopefully, her hate will override the suspicion. Or her love for me. The room was only filled with the distraught of the guard hovering the King. The other staring intently at the ground outside the window. We were high up in the castle, but it was really the only place we could of placed as the entrance to the "assassin". It was a cobbled together alibi by the Queen, but it would have to work. If not… well… force would come sooner than thought. I had planned to make a comeback from Essos. It would be fun, I had thought. I should of known I would get attached.

The Kingsguard and Goldcloaks scoured the city after, as a guard was sent for my brother, the soon-to-be King. From what I understood, he had just returned from sending his newly pregnant second wife to Dragonstone. I had not been following the timeline very well. Too preoccupied with the comfort of my new family. That meant the civil war was most likely going to happen regardless. I've been stupid, following my own whims without thought for others. Mother sat me in a room as she tried to sort out my mess. It had been a day since, my only company the nannies once again. A knock on the door interrupted my pity. My mother swooped in, and headed straight for me. What I expected didn't happen, as she went straight into protective mother mode. Swooning over me like I didn't just kill the King.

"My little dragon, what am I going to do with you?" She said in a sad whisper, before her expression straightened out. I was learning a new side to my lovely mother. The side of the dragon if I had to guess. "Ladies, out!" She barked the order with all the authority of a Queen. Setting me down on my bed, she kneeled infront of me.

"Listen, Viserys, you speak to nobody what happened. It never happened." She said with a comforting hand on my shoulder. There was still suspicion in her eyes, but also love. She was going to pretend not to of noticed. Why, I could only guess, but it works for me. I slowly nodded.

oOoOoOo

The Red Keep was in a flurry of motion, regardless of the stillness of the Royal residence. The war was just starting in full swing and from the sounds of it, it wasn't going well. I had been sequestered away with the rest of the family, only missing the new King, my brother. I could understand with him being so busy. I kept myself busy, building bonds with my family, finally deciding to break my vow of silence. The common tongue wasn't different enough from English to be much of a problem, but I did slip up on occasion with how fluent I was. I kept expecting to be confronted about all my strangeness, but it never came. I wasn't sure if I should of been happy about that. It was a wall to a close connection that wouldn't go away unless spoken of. Elia started to warm up to me in that time, and things were relatively happy.

Until, my brother died fighting in the frontlines. Everyone tried to dissuade him of it, but he ignored them.

oOoOoOo

We were shipped off to Dragonstone after a period of mourning. Mourning that continued even when we arrived at Dragonstone. I was just happy we wouldn't be there for the sacking of King's Landing. That had been my foremost concern. The concerns didn't decrease, but our immediate safety was guaranteed. I finally got a chance to meet the heavily pregnant Lyanna Stark and I could see why my brother was so taken with her. She held some resentment towards us, but didn't let it show in the company of my aunt and I. But I heard the arguements behind closed doors. Lyanna seemingly not caring for my mother being a Royal. It was a tense atmosphere and it was getting to everyone. I didn't wish illfate to anyone, and I felt guilty for letting the original story come to this point. I had plently of opportunity to change things. If not for a happy ending, then perhaps for a better future.

One thing I knew was that Lyanna adored the child in her stomach, despite the circumstances around it. The birthing had been hard on her and we could see the death in her eyes, even still it held love for the boy born. No matter the sound of fighting outside. The Royal family was being pressured to escape, and we were most likely going to, but I had to do something. I didn't wish for Lyanna to die. I scrounged for my mediocre knowledge of healing spells and headed to her. My mother tried to place a hand on my shoulder, but I nimbly escaped it. Lyanna watched me come with glazed eyes that continued to dim. The room filled with bright green light as I tried my damndest to heal her. When the light dimmed, Lyanna layed unconscious, but breathing even. I had saved her. I walked passed my family as they stood tranfixed.

"Mother, don't we need to go?" I asked. We escaped soon after.

oOoOoOo

In the aftermath of the war, I was able to discern a good amount of changes that my presence had wroth. The most important being the survival of many of the knights that would of been placed to delay the ransacking of Dragonstone. We had left just early enough that the deaths weren't needed. Stannis tried to give chase, but ended up too preoccupied to show concern to our leave, not that he knew we were on the ship. Elia and Rhaenys stayed with us, despite Elia's want to return to Dorne. The risk was too high for the return.

Ser Barriston the Bold stayed with us across the seas also, but still suffered exile. Well, word of exile. The decree had been spread through rumor here in Essos.

The family stayed on the move for the most part, with the support of I knew not. I had seen the blubbering man that would sometimes visit, but never caught his name. I couldn't remember it either. It had been a long time since I've read or seen the series and it was the only excuse that assuaged my guilt. The constant spoiling of me didn't help matters. The servants taken to calling me Young King. It was a minor form of brainwashing on the support's part, but I could still spot it. Tell me enough times, and I would hold the position before even being crowned. My mother was pensive about it also, but didn't have another source of backing to complain. Luckily, my actual age amounted far larger than the body's three-coming four names day. Mother's opinion seemed to be to live out our days in Essos, never aspire for the crown. I would agree with her, if I didn't know it wouldn't be allowed to happen. I knew the Spider had a hand in these machinations, and I also knew he was too smart for us to stay out of the limelight. He would drag us there if needed. Well, he would drag me. I was not sure if he had plans for the rest of the family.

Despite Lyanna surviving, it seems she decided not to marry the King. I didn't know the reasons, but she returned to her ancestral home of Winterfell, not even speaking a word to King Robert. It could be a number of factors, but if I had to guess it would be the kill-on-sight order on each one of the Targaryens. We had grown rather close and she had a Targaryen of her own. Risky business, that. There was no announcement of her having a child, so it stands to reason she hid the infant. I was suprised Eddard Stark went along with that, if only because it could be construed to housing a rebellion. The child was second in line for the throne afterall. The man was family oriented though, regardless of his friendship with the King.

oOoOoOo

We moved and moved, until finally mother had enough of the manipilations and found alternative backing. We settled in Braavos, before mother started weakening each day. Age or sickness I could not tell, but Elia was there as support.

The stays in bed lengthened, until eventually she passed. It crushed me. I had grown to love the woman. I heavily suspected foul play. She seemed healthy enough only months ago. Sadly, she didn't include me in any business to be able to spot an attack. It was a surprise to me just like the others, even with my years of experience to discern assassinations.

I demanded training the next day.

oOoOoOo

Time passed and the number of houses willing to take us in decreased. I decided to ignore it and let others handle it as I continued to hone my body for what was to come. I didn't have the age to be influential even with my linage anyway.

This continued until we were on our last leg. Thankfully, enough time passed that Elia pointed out the idea of going to Dorne, where may be the only support we have. The Martells would be pleasantly surprised to find Elia alive and hopefully not murder me. It would come to great risk to house my aunt and I. So, we set sail just barely past my 12th names day.

oOoOoOo

Our entry into Sunspear was a quiet affair only to be broke when we reached the Martells residence. That's when the screams of Elia being back started and the merriment persued. Doran Martell quickly ushered us in to avoid the madness, but even with the bags under his eyes, I could see a light spark in them. Looks like he was happy to see her, even more so when he saw Rhaenys. He scooped them both in hugs that would otherwise not be seen from a Lord Paramount or cripple. Him and Elia split from us, commanding a guard to send word to his brother. 'Discreetly' he had said. I thought it a little too late for that. Rhaenys sat with Ser Barristan and I, hand clutching to mine in a death grip, as we waited.

"We will be fine here, right Viserys?" Rhaenys asked nervously. She has always been rather lively, so I failed to see what was making her nervous. When I looked over, I saw what had her worried. She was worried for me. I gave her a gentle hug before replying.

"We will. I can handle myself. You needn't worry for me." We sat in silence, her clutching to me, my words not having a strong effect. They weren't aware of how strong I truly was. Sure, they saw me as a sword prodigy, able to take full grown men at the age of 12, but they don't know the extent of my magic. Only mother ever had a clue, and she never confronted me about it. Our embrace was broken by the door opening. A man of resemblance of Doran entered. Darkened skin and hair, mustache and wild demeanor. His eyes trailed over us in caution until he plowed into Rhaenys, tears in his eyes.

"How is my niece? Oh, how I have missed you!" He exclaimed, swinging Ryaenys around. I watched the display in some amusement. The giggling caught me on to the lifting mood. I was happy someone could reassure her when I failed. He settled her back down, holding her by the shoudlers with a smile.

"I am fine, Uncle…" She said before starting to drag him to me. "Come, meet Viserys."

I stood as they drew closer, and I could see the recognition in his eyes. I have never personally met the man, but I liked him more or less already. It is sad my father never let me in the company of… anyone really. The man had been suspicious of Rhaegar by time I was born, so kept me in isolation to take the throne. The man had been fanatical about lineage, that being the only reason he didn't off Rhaegar. I say Rhaegar did plently a good job offing himself.

"Prince Oberyn." I said with a bow. His face lit up in another smile, before patting me on the shoulder.

"None of that, lad. My niece seems rather taken with you, so we're family already." His face turned contemplative. "I suppose that's actually true. Something-in-law." I gave a soft chuckle, his mood contagious.

"Come, let's go see my sister. Can't have my brother hog her to himself." With that, he turned on his heel and exited, assuming we would follow. Rhaenys and I turned to Ser Barristan, who gave us an encouraging nod. We soon ran to catch up with Oberyn.

We found Elia and Doran in his solar, and Oberyn walked in like he owned the place. Everyone had smiles that grimmed when we took in Elia's face of anger and Doran's face of neutrality.

"Alright, what's wrong? This is a glorious day, brother." Oberyn commented as he gave his sister a bear hug.

"Our Lordly Brother wishes to send Viserys to his death or close as can be." Elia said, rounding on Doran. Doran held up a placating gesture, hoping to calm her.

"I did not say that, Elia. I am only concerned." He said, sending a glance to me. "Prince Viserys, I do not mean you are unwelcome, but Dorne already has much scrutiny as is. It doesn't help that my sister's presence has been anounced throughout Sunspear, soon to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms." He was as much explaining to me as everyone else. It was something I was already aware of though.

"So? We fight then, brother. The King does not have influence here, and he wouldn't dare send an army." Oberyn said, placing a comforting hand on Elia. I could see tears prickling on Elia's face and it tugged at my heart.

"It's fine, Oberyn, I understand. If I can be granted safe passage, that will be all I can ask for." I said, locking eyes with Doran. Grips on my arms broke the contest and I turned to find both Rhaenys and Elia holding me in place. They both had anger on their faces.

"He is like a son to me, Doran. There has to be a better way." I looked to Elia in surprise, not realizing she felt that strongly towards me. Doran considered us for a second before sighing.

"Alright, alright." Doran tried waving them down. He turned a speculative eye back to me. "Do you wish for the throne?"

"Not particularly…" I said with a shrug. "Cloak and dagger will most likely never be my forte, I like to be more direct. I'd assume I'd tire of politicking within a week."

"Oh ho?" He grew a grin. "Very well, you can stay with Oberyn for a time. Atleast until after the visits from King's Landing that'll surely come."

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this? You know I travel, brother." Oberyn exclaimed, before giving a timid smile my way. Which was more for his sister than me, if I had to guess.

"And that's why I want him with you. Hopefully, you can be out of the country while whoever they send visits. I'm not asking for long. Maybe a year or so." Oberyn narrowed his eyes toward his brother.

"What is it your planning? We could just as simply hide him. No moving required." The two settled into a contest of stares that Doran tried to make seem he wasn't also playing. I gave a sigh.

"Are you going to accrue Targaryen allies?" I asked, and everyone turned to me in surprise. Doran most of all. I gave another sigh.

"I don't have a say on the throne thing, do I?" I could only be exasperated.


End file.
